The Human Rights Division of the High Court has dismissed a request from the lawyer representing the Achimota School to consolidate two suits brought against it by Oheneba Nkrabea and Tyrone Marhguy, the two students denied admission because of their dreadlocks.
The Judge, Lady Gifty Addo in response said granting the request will not be for the expedited nature in which she wants the case to run, especially since both cases would require their own judgment in the end.
The school in this case however filed its affidavit in opposition to the case on Friday, April 30, 2021, a situation the judge said has not permitted her to peruse the document.
The school is also yet to file its written submission.
The court thus gave the school five working days to file it after which the case would be heard on May 14, 2021.
Meanwhile, the cost of GHS10,000 requested by the lawyer of Oheneba Nkrabea, Wayoe Ghanamannti against the Achimota school was not granted.
He justified the request saying that it was to pay for homeschooling for Oheneba as the matter was in court.
About three weeks ago, it was reported that Achimota School had denied two Rastafarians admission to the school, although they had been placed there by the Ghana Education Service’s Computerized School Selection and Placement Service (CSSPS).
The school insisted that its regulation states that all students or potential students maintain a low haircut as a requirement for admission.
It, therefore, said the two Rastafarians must cut their dreadlocks if they want to be granted admission. The two students insisted and were consequently denied admission.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) subsequently ordered Achimota School to admit the students, but it made a U-turn on its stance.
One of the Rastafarians who went to seek admission at his second choice of school, Saint John’s Grammar School was again refused admission there because of his dreadlocks.
Following calls for legal processes to the initiated against the school, Tyron Marhguy sued Achimota School.
Oheneba Nkrabea sues Achimota School
Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea also dragged Achimota School, the Board of Governors of Achimota School, the Ghana Education Service, Ministry of Education, and the Attorney General to court, praying the Human Rights Division of the High Court to compel Achimota School to admit him for the purposes of his education.
He is also asking the court to stop the school from ever discriminating against him on the basis of his “religion and or creed”.
Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea prayed to the court to among other things make “a declaration that requiring Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea a child and adherent of the Rastafari religion and creed, to either cut his hair or forfeit admission into Achimota School, a public senior high school, is a violation of his rights to dignity…contrary to articles 15 and 28(3) of the Constitution, 1992 and section 13 of the Children’s Act 1998 (Act 560)”.
Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea’s suit is the second after one filed by Tyron Marhguy, the other Rastafarian who was denied admission to the school.
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
